If there were any clergymen present at the Grote Markt Square last night, then they heard David Eugene Edwards, the singer of rock band Sixteen Horsepower, preach God's Word to an innumerable host of followers, perhaps gnashing his teeth, perhaps not. For a short time the Grote Markt square was a House of God, but packed with people. The serious but appealing religious rock of 16 Horsepower more than made up for the so-so parts of the Stad Als Podium's bill which aimed to cater for all tastes.

... And then Sixteen Horsepower. They play before hip-hop act Relax, and during their show fans even climb up the sculptor Arthur Spronken's "Zonnevechter" statue in order to not miss anything of the appearance. From the first note onwards the magic is there. "Preacher" David Eugene Edwards lets his guitar scream wildly and he tortures the strings with a bottleneck. This stage presentation is self-evident indeed: this is the preaching of the gospel. Not even a broken string can prevent that. The bass and percussion make your trouser-legs tremble. The obsessive vocals make you shiver. This is first-rate. It is a pity that the favourite Black Soul Choir isn't played, and that there's no time anymore for a (well-earned) encore.